


you're golden, baby

by melodramatic



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Friends to Lovers, Kid Fic, M/M, Time lapses, genderfluid!josh, it's just cuteness, just a fluffy one-shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-10
Updated: 2017-05-10
Packaged: 2018-10-30 05:08:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10869750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melodramatic/pseuds/melodramatic
Summary: Josh just needed a little love.





	you're golden, baby

It started with a small, small flame.

Josh was ten when he looked through a shop window, as him and his dad walked around the mall. He looked up at the mannequin who was dressed in a simple, but classy skirt, and a white blouse to go with it. She was posed effeminately, and Josh just couldn't stop staring.

She had no face, but she was beautiful. And there was a small spark that was lit in the depths of Josh's heart - something that made his stomach feel tingly.

"What're you lookin' at, J?" His dad asked, coming up behind him and placing a hand on his shoulder. 

He shrugged, "That lady is really pretty."

His dad chuckled, "You have a crush on a mannequin?"

But Josh immediately shook his head, "No. I just... I like her clothes."

His dad looked down at him with an inquisitive look, but Josh did not meet his eyes. With a hand still on his shoulder, his dad steered him away from the mannequin and took them into the nearest sports shop. Josh was not interested in the footballs, though. He wanted to go look at more mannequins with pretty clothes, and pretty stances.

And after that day, he always preffered to go shopping with his mom and sisters.

They always went to the shops that were marketed towards women, and Josh's mom would let him lose himself amongst the ailes and ailes of pretty skirts, dresses, and she even let him mess with the makeup.

"Mom?" He asked one day as they strolled _Sephora_.

She turned towards him and hummed.

"Can I get this?" He asked, holding up a mascara tube.

His mother pursed her lips, "Um, I don't know, sweetie. I don't think your father would like that very much."

He frowned, "Why not?"

She sighed deeply, "You'll find out when your older. For now, let's just look at the stuff they have for boys, okay?"

Josh crossed his arms and reluctantly agreed, as they went into the same store that his dad always took him to. 

He secretly couldn't wait until he could go shopping with his own money. He'd buy everything he wanted and more.

And he told all of this to his best friend, as they sat on the playground together, more interested in talking than actually playing. 

They spoke of everything and everything, and it was on that playground structure that Josh asked a question he didn't even know would be relevant in the future.

"Would you still be my friend if I was gay?" Josh asked, bringing his knees up to his chest and resting his chin on his knees.

Tyler turned his head and stopped swinging his feet, "Huh?"

"Like," Josh swallowed, "If I grew up and wanted to marry a boy instead of a girl. Would you be mad?"

Tyler pursed his lips and thought for a moment. "Why would that make me mad?"

Josh shrugged.

"Are you gay?"

"No. Well - no."

"Then why'd you ask?"

Josh shrugged again.

They continued regular conversation, and from then on, Tyler did not ask a single question when Josh colored his nails with the pink marker during silent reading.

His dad told him to wash it off, and he complained to Tyler who gave him a hug.

"Sometimes I think my dad doesn't like me," Josh confessed on a late night as they laid in Tyler's backyard on an old blanket and looked up at the stars. It was the night of Tyler's fourteenth birthday, and although they had spent the entire night around friends and family, he wanted to end the night with just him and Josh. 

And, really, Josh's heart thumped a little extra loud when Tyler was near him - he did not admit it, but he did not deny it.

Tyler turned towards him, "Why do you think that?"

Josh shrugged, "He doesn't like it when I... Like... rememember when we were little and I used the markers to paint my nails?"

Tyler nodded.

"Well, he always got mad at me. Told me that only girls do that."

Tyler blinked a few times and waited for Josh to continue.

"I like being a boy. But... sometimes I like the same stuff that girls like. Does that make sense?" Josh asked, turning towards the other boy with a sense of desperation in his tone.

"It does make sense," Tyler said, nodding.

"You're not just saying that to make me feel better?"

Tyler shook his head and scooted closer, reaching his arm out so that Josh was tucked closely to his side. Tyler put both of his arms around the boy, unsure of what he was feeling as Josh tucked his face into the crook of Tyler's neck and breathed softly.

They each took a deep breath.

"Wanna know what my favorite star is?" Tyler asked aloud.

Josh angled his head up, "What is it?"

"All of them."

Josh chuckled and settled his head back into Tyler's neck, his lips so close to his skin.

"Wanna know why?" Tyler asked.

"Why?"

"'Cause they're all bright and golden. And it reminds me of when you smile. When you smile, it's bright and golden."

Josh lifted himself from Tyler's embrace, and stared at him, with a blush growing down his neck and flaring up his torso.

In the few moments that they stared at each other, neither of them said anything, but so many words were exchanged. Through their minds, through their hearts. Josh tucked himself back into Tyler's side, and fell asleep like that, despite his best efforts to stay awake. 

He was not awake when Tyler planted a light kiss on the top of his head, and then carried him inside.

And finally - finally, when Josh was sixteen, Tyler kissed him on the forehead, but kept his face close.

"I love you, ya know," Tyler confessed, as they laid in his bed together.

"I know," Josh replied, "I love you, too."

Their lips met for something sweet and innocent - something passionate and something true.

And then there was one day that they went to the mall together, on an afternoon after they had spent the entire morning in their pajamas playing video games and making out.

It was also the week before Josh's eighteenth birthday, and Tyler wanted to do something special for him.

They roamed shop after shop, mostly cracking jokes and making fun of passerby's as they looked at different clothing, and different miscellaneous items. 

Nothing was serious until Josh mentally noted that Tyler was busy grabbing something from the food court, as he slowly made his way towards the women's section of a rather pricey retail store. He was only going to look for a few moments, and then he'd find Tyler.

Just a few moments.

He reached out to feel the soft cotton of a white blouse, that he could only imagine felt so nice to wear. And on the shelf next to the white blouse was an equally as soft, pink skirt. He pinched the material between his thumb and index finger.

It was soft, it was pretty, and Josh _really_ wanted to try it on. Someone came up beside him and startled him, causing him to jump back a few feet.

"Oh, shit - Tyler, you scared me. I thought you were getting food?" He asked, putting a hand over his heart.

"Well, I turned right back around to see if you wanted anything," He said, and then pointed at the skirt, "Do you want this?"

Josh immediately shook his head, "No, I was just-"

"Josh. C'mon. It's me." Tyler's tone was stern, but not without love.

Josh bit his lip and shoved his hands in his pockets, "Well, I mean, kinda."

Tyler looked at the size, then back at Josh, and took it off the rack.

"Okay," He said, looking around the rest of the store, "Pick out some more stuff."

Heat spread all around Josh's body, "You don't have to get that for me, Ty."

"I want to," He replied without hesitation, placing a hand on the small of Josh's back, "Now, c'mon. I want to spoil you. Pick out some more stuff."

Josh smiled bashfully, and Tyler planted a kiss on his cheek. They looked at each other for a moment, and it didn't take long for either of them to reflect on how deeply in love they were with the other. 

"Stop staring at me, and go find something else," Tyler said, despite laughing through the entire sentence. 

Josh giggled, and kissed him on the side of his neck, moving deeper into the women's section.

While Josh found himself looking at the elegant nightgowns, Tyler was looking through several different piles of panties.

"Josh," He called. "What about some of these?" He asked as the boy came closer.

He bit his lip and shrugged. Tyler picked up a lace pair of mint green, that shimmered in the light. He raised an eyebrow at Josh, who did not make eye contact.

"I bet you'd look _great_ in these," Tyler mumbled, mostly to himself.

Josh smirked to himself, "Yeah?"

"Mhm."

Three pairs of underwear, and one blouse later, and they headed to Josh's house, to put the new outfits to the test. They were both giddy with excitement, and were even more thrilled to find out that the rest of Josh's family was headed out, right as they were arriving. 

They were going to go check out the festival downtown - would Tyler and Josh like to come? No, they were good, but they appreciated the invitation.

Tyler waited patiently on the other side of the door as his boyfriend got dressed, and - fuck, Tyler was already half hard as he imagined Josh in lace and pastel colors. 

Finally, after what seemed like forever, Josh gave the okay, and Tyler opened the door, feasting his eyes on the most beautiful creature to ever have step foot on the planet. 

The skirt stopped short right after the curve of his butt, and how did Tyler not even realize Josh had been shaving his legs? 

He had his hands behind his back as the bright white blouse simply illumated the bright yellow in his hair, and Tyler was so, so in love.

He took a few steps forward, cursing under his breath, as he thought of everything he wanted to do to that boy right then and there.

Tyler put both hands on Josh's waist and ushered him closer, planting soft kisses down his neck.

"You like it?" Josh asked, his eyes fluttering closed.

Tyler moved his hands to grip firmly on either side of Josh's butt, and reveled in the moan he pulled from the boy.

"I love it," He claimed, moving his lips to capture Josh's in a heated kiss. "I love you."

Josh wrapped his arms around Tyler's neck, "Love you, too."

Tyler moved his hands so that they were under the skirt, and almost fucking moaned once he felt the cold, but soft satin of the panties Josh had on.

He bit down on Josh's bottom lip, and the boy breathed deeply, involuntarily pressing himself forwards so that his crotch was against Tyler's.

Tyler picked him up by the backs of his thighs and dropped him onto the bed, immediately climbing over him and kissing down his neck, and pulling the blouse down to suck marks into his chest.

"You're so beautiful, baby," He said, as he brought himself back up to kiss Josh passionately.

And Josh _loved_  the nicknames - the entire night, Tyler found himself calling Josh the most beautiful, and the most soft names he could think of, utterly obsesssed with Josh's immediate response to each one of them.

Before they knew it, the moon was high up in the sky, and Josh swore he could still feel Tyler's hands spreading him out in the most beautiful way, making him feel _so good_ in ways he didn't even know were possible.

Tyler was cuddled up right behind him, splaying one hand over his chest, as they both faced the open window.

"You know what those stars remind me of?" Tyler asked in a quiet tone.

Josh shook his head, but he already knew.

"They remind me of you. 'Cause they're beautiful and golden. Like you," Tyler raised himself up and kissed the side of Josh's face, carding one hand through his bright hair, "You're beautiful and golden. In every way. You know that?"

Josh hummed and turned to engage Tyler in a passionate, but slow kiss. 

"I really do love you, Ty."

"I know. I love you too, J."

The atmosphere was heated in the best way, and as they fell asleep entangled in one another, Josh felt _so_ golden, and _so_ loved.

**Author's Note:**

> (I was half-asleep when I wrote this. Could you tell? Hope not. Leave comments, if you'd like, I always appreciate them) 
> 
> :) stay alive and safe


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